This week we get to mix peanut butter, mustard, vinegar and sugar together to make a dip for Ritz crackers.
Like regular peanut butter isn’t good enough on it’s own.
This is Peanut Butter Spread!
AuthorRetroRuth
From The Peanut Cookbook of Plains, Georgia, 1976
Tested Recipe!
[cooked-sharing]
Cook all ingredients except peanut butter until they thicken. Add peanut butter. Good on Ritz crackers.
Ingredients
This lovely recipe is from The Peanut Cookbook of Plains Georgia, 1976. This book is actually full of a lot of historical recipes, like boiled peanuts, but most of it is interesting stuff with only a few wacky recipes. Honestly, most of this cookbook looks really good to me and a lot more realistic than the cookbooks I have that were put out by the Peanut Commission. The pies in the Plains cookbook look especially excellent. If you can’t find a copy thrifting, there is always the Bay! (Click here to see the cookbook on eBay)
I used natural peanut butter because the recipe calls for a LOT of sugar. And I am thinking that the good people of Plains probably ate natural peanut butter. Probably even more natural than this.
It also just specifies a “jar” of peanut butter and doesn’t give an exact measurement, so I used a 16 oz jar of peanut butter. I reasoned that in 1976, 16 oz was probably the standard peanut butter jar size.
I am also going with the assumption that the “red pepper” called for in the recipe is Cayenne pepper.
Making vinegar candy.
Actually, this procedure reminded me of making fudge.
And after I added the peanut butter, it did take on a very fudge-like texture and appearance.
The recipe didn’t specify how to store or serve it, other than the crackers, so I put it in the fridge to have it firm up a bit more before serving.
“Really?”
“Yup. These are excellent. They taste like Thai food.”
The Verdict: Thai-Tastic
From The Tasting Notes –
If you enjoy the sweet/savory peanut combo of Thai food or Thai-inspired food, then this recipe is the one for you. The peanut spread had a good, peanutty flavor, a good texture, and it was sweet with a bite from the vinegar. It wasn’t spicy at all, so maybe I should have upped the pepper from the ubiquitous mid-century “pinch” measurement to like 1/2 a teaspoon. Or more even. With the sweetness and the fat, this spread could probably take a great deal of heat and still be good. It would be a great dressing base for Thai salad if you want to whisk it into oil. On crackers, it was a bit rich. You were able to eat about three, and then it started getting to be a bit much. But overall, a fun recipe to try. Would be great for a retro cocktail party, with some really strong drinks!
Oh, I do enjoy your posts!!
my Thai friend said to use Thai chilies and you’d have the basic peanut sauce they use
A friend of mine lives near a big grocery store that has a fresh peanut butter grinder in its “natural foods” section. It turns roasted peanuts into peanut butter right before your eyes! It’s a lot of fun, but I bet it’d also be a good way to get the least adulterated PB possible for old recipe tests.
Sadly, he lives 5 hours away, or else I’d try this. My SO absolutely loves peanut sauce! I’ve wanted to make some homemade peanut sauce for him for ages, but we live in a super rural area and most of the peanut butter we have available is loaded with sugar.
Am I the only one who thought of the old “Dick Van Dyke Show” episode where Laura overheard Millie saying she thought Laura left something out(on purpose)when she gave her her peanut butter dip recipe?
LOL @ your final paragraph. As soon as I saw those ingredients I thought, “This sounds like a version of the Thai peanut sauce we use on chicken.” I bet if you increase the peppery heat it would also be good on celery for a little crunchy-cool contrast.
That was the first thing I thought of! The peanut butter avocado dip…she left out the mustard. I always wondered if that was a true recipe.
This sounds so good! I wonder if a less rich cracker (like a Saltine or water cracker) would lend itself to eating more of the spread. As if I need to eat peanut butter fudge on crackers. lol 😉
I bet these would be enjoyable as cracker sandwiches.
I can’t stand peanut butter so someone else will have to figure that out. 😉
What if you made this recipe and halved the sugar?
Plains, GA. 1976. I wonder if Jimmy Carter’s candidacy was what prompted the publication of this book?
As far as I know, 18 ounces was a standard jar then. Some house brands of peanut butter (Aldi’s, for instance) are still 18 ounces, while major brands are 16 or 16.3 and other house brands 16. Not a big difference.